Hitting into the Future

Baseball, commonly referred to as “America’s national pastime,” is taking a step into the future with a brand new machine, HitTrax.

The game’s first and only virtual simulator is redefining the way baseball players are evaluated by combining analytics and real-time feedback. Now, players don’t have to wait until springtime to see results on the big screen.

“The analytics model really lends itself to measuring key components of a player’s swing, and identifies really cool metrics such as distance hit, exit ball velocity, launch angle and line drive percentage,” Michael Lombardi, The Baseball Center NYC Executive Director said. “It also measures defensive metrics of a major league team according to reaction time, acceleration, transfer speed, arm strength and distance. The machine will actually determine what’s a hit and what’s an out.”

The feedback arrives instantly, and it even compares a player’s performance against a national database of players at similar skill levels.

The breakthrough is that the data recorded by the device translates into objective benchmarks; giving coaches a chance to dissect a player’s game while identifying strengths and weaknesses.

“The analytics side is unprecedented with the number of different metrics,” Lombardi said. “It will help you understand how tweaking your swing will help you achieve a higher line drive percentage more consistently, at a faster rate.”

Designed by InMotion Systems, HitTrax’s ground-breaking technology is helping facilities generate revenue. Its exclusivity is enticing players of all levels to hit the batting cages year-round.

“We’re really excited about the versatility of this machine and how it can push the boundaries of our business model from a revenue generation standpoint across all different segments of our client base,” Lombardi said. “The machine’s ability spans from 8u all the way up to the professional level.”